Measured-delivery apparatus.



. FRANCIS '.D. WEEKS, OF SALIDA, COLORADO.

MEASU'RED-DELIVERY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. v Patented July 14., 1914.

' Application filed March 2, 1911. Serial No. 611,794.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS D. VVEnKs, a citizen. o-f the United States,residing at Salida, county of Chaffee, State of Colorado, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Measured-Delivery Apparatus; andI do hereby declare the following to 'be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart' to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to an automatic measuring device by which ore orsimilar material in bulk may be intermittently transferred inpredetermined quantities from a hopper or other receptacle to anotherlocation, or in which different materials may be so transferred inpredetermined proportions from a plurality of such. receptacles or inwhich a definite rate of feeding may be automatically and continuouslymaintained from one or more of such receptacles. In some devices of thiskind heretofore employed, the quantity of material transferred could notbe altered in fine gradations so that the mixtures thereof could not beproperly compounded, and processes requiring certain rates of feedingcould not. be properly carried out automatically and continuously; inothers the alteration was secured by adjusting a gate opening and whensuch opening was small it became clogged by the material transferred.

In accordance with my invention, an endless belt is moved intermittentlyin one direction 'through a finely adjustable range beneath a receptaclecontaining ore or other material in bulk. Each movement of the belttakes a predetermined quantity of material from `the receptacle andtransfers it to another receptacle or onto a traveling conveyer. Byproviding a plurality of receptacles containing different materials anda plurality of transmitting devices, the resulting mixture in the commonreceptacle may be compounded in any desired pro-portion. Or the materialor materials may be fed automatically and continuouslyat a definite ratebyadjusting the bulk transferred from each receptacle at each movement.

.In the accompanying drawing forming apart ,of this specification,Figure 1 is a front elevation of a plurality of receptacles andtransmitting devices and a traveling conveyer arranged to transfer thedischarge from all of the receptacles into a common receptacle. Fig. 2is a transverse vertical section of a receptacle containing materia-l inbulk, showing a transmit-ting device and al conveyor, wherein the beltof the transmit'- ting device forms the bottom of the .receptacle. Fig.3 is a side view showing the detailed construction of the transmittindevice and means for indicating the a justment. Fig. 4 is a plan view,partly in section, and illustrates the driving end o f a transmittingdevice which discharges directly into a fixed receptacle. Fig. 5 is a,vertical section of a modification in which the transmitting belt doesnot formA the bottom of the receptacle.

The receptacle 1 is an ordinary hopper, having some or all of its sidessloping toward the bottom, in order to aid the downward movement of thematerial 2 to be fed. The bottom of the receptacle may be formed by theendless belt 8 of the transmitting device, as illustrated in Fig. 2, orthe bottom may be a part of the receptacle 1 as shown in Fig. 5. Thebelt may, if desired, be held in close proximity to the bottom of thereceptacle by a roller bed or otherwise, as shown in Fig. 2. There is anopening 4 in the front side of the receptacle, which mayy be adjusted inheight by means of the sliding gate 5. The bolt 6 in the slot 7 securesthe gate in any desired position.

In the transmitting device herein illustrated, the rotatable shaft 8 forproducing the intermittent motion is supported from the receptacles bymeans of t-he brackets 9. There is provided for each receptacle aneccentric 10 rigidly mounted on the shaft 8. The rod 12 is secured atone end to the collar 11 which incloses the eccentric, while the otherend is loosely held by the turnbuckle 13. The other end of theturnbuckle is screwed onto a rod 14, which is attached to the lever 17by means of a slotted link 15 and the pin 16. The framework 18 of thetransmitting device supports the bearings 19 through which extends thedriving shaft 2O and the braking shaft 2l. At one end ofv the drivingshaft is rigidly mounted the driving pulley 22 while loosely mountedthereon is the pivoted lever-frame 17. T he driving strap 23 extendspartly around the driving pulley and has a weight 24 attached to oneend, while the other end is connected to the pivoted lever-frame. Thebrake strap 25 exaround these two pulleys and asses in closeV proximityto the bottom of t e receptacle, orming the bottom thereof if desired.The extreme movement of the lever-frame 17 is limited in'one directionby a stop 31 projecting from the frame-Work 18 and engaging the innerarm of the frame.

The endless belt of the transmitting device or devices may discharge thematerial or materials'into a fixed receptacle 32, as shown in Fig. 4, orthe materials may be discharged into a traveling conveyer 33, ofthe'ordinary construction, and thence into a common receptacle 34, asshown in Fig. 1. The vertical plates v35 direct the discharge o'f thematerial from the endless belt to the conveyer.

The operation of the automatic measuring device will now be described.In. the construction shown, the primary driving shaft 8 is rotatable andits rotary motion is converted by the eccentric 10 into a reciprocatingmotion of the connecting members 12, 13 and let. By lneans ot theadjustable connection at 15 and 16, such reciprocating motion isconverted into a min'utely adjustable oscillation of the pivotedlever-trame 17 to lwhich the strap Q3 is connected. The upward movementot' that end ot leverframe 17 o which strap Q3 is connected is limitedby the stop 3l, and its downward' movement is determined by theadjustment of the turnbuclcle. During such downward movement the strapQ3 is held in t'rietional engagement with the pulley Q2 by the weightQ'IA and a counterelocltwise movement ot' the pulley, as viewed in Fig.3. results` which imparts a corresponding movement to the feed belt 3and the bed of ere or other material carried thereby. This movement otbelt 3 imparts a. corresponding movement. to shat't Q1 and brake pulley2li, 'lhe tendency of this movement ot' the brake pulley is to lift theweight 27 and release the trictiona engagement ot' the strap 25 with thepulley. 'Ihis'litting of the weight is very slight, only sullicient toslack the strap 25. but it is snlicient to permit the rotation ol pulleyQ2 under the impulse ot strap 21% and the t'orward movement of the teedbelt. As the rod 12 begins to descend the connected end ot'lever-trarnell't'ftalls and the end ot the strap connected to the other en d olE thelever-trame rises. under the pull ot weight 2li; hull now the brakestrap E35 is stretched tight on pulley 2li and exerts sullieient hraitAing ell'cct thereon to prevent the reverse movement ot' pulley t and thefriction driving strap 23 slips over that pulley. The extent of thelinear movement of? the endless belt may be altered by adjusting theturnbuckle,-sinee `the instant at which the slotted link I travel of thevertical arm depends upon this adjustment. If the slotted link is raisedby the turnbuqkle, the linkengages the pin 16 at an earlier Aof theshaft 8, and thereby start of the movement of the endless belt.-Similarly, if the slotted link is lowered 'by the turnbuckle, the pointf the cycle of rotation of the shaft atwhich the link engages ther pinis' dela start of movement o 'the'endl'ess belt relaried graduallythroughout' a" Wide range.4 The pivoted lever-frame 17 carries an arm'or pointer scale 37 lever. movement of the pivoted lever is indicated'on the graduated scale, thereby indicating; the extent of the linearendless belt during each cycle. I may graduate'this scale in angularmeasure orin' vterms of length or of volume corresponding to a certaingate opening,'to indicate the during the oscillatory'trav'el of theceptaele. during each cycle.

the movement of the endless lstarted and ended at' different cycle ofrotation of the shaft the eccentric on the shaft'.` start and end of themovement ot' a plurality of transmitting devices :1ct11ated`-f1'-omricommon shaft and having the same'turnbuclle adjustment may be altered;and by also ad- Furthermore, belt may be points ofthe by adjusting endsof the'movements during each cycle of rotation of the common shaft mayvbe altered at will.

In order to provide means for automatinnned proportions in I employ aphnality ot' receptacles, each containing different material and eachhaving a separate transmitting device of the character described. vicesmay discharge the material directly into a common receptacle, or theymay discharge onto a traveling conveyer, which empties into anotherreceptacle. The

transmitting device may he adjusted to any prtulctermined amount in twodiil'erent. ways. The extent oit movement ot' the transmitting devicelmay be altered by adjusting the. turnhucltlc` or the l adjusted inposition. l l length along` the transmitting belt of the mat terialtransferred during each cycle is l altered, and in the second ease itsthickness In the first case. the

engages the pin in the upward point in the cycle of rotation advancesthe ed. In this way, the

tively to thejstart ofthe cycle may be va- 36 which sweeps over a.graduated as In thisway, a measure of the angular movement ot theaoamount of material transferred from'th re-Y 95 'In this way, the 100justing theturnbuckle, both the start and cally compounding materials inpredetera common receptacle,

These transmitting dell amount of material discharged by each slidinggate may be j' is altered. It Ialso obvious that adjust- 130transmitting devices .tation of the driving ment of the amount ofmaterial transferred may also be secured by combining these means. Sinceall of the transmitting devices are actuated by a common shaft, thefrequency of the cycles is the same for all. Therefore by adjusting theamount of ma.- terial transferred during each cycle, the total materialdischarged into the common receptacle is compounded in the sameproportions. If 'the speed of rotation of the common shaft is altered,the frequency of the movements of all the transmitting devices Will bealtered in accordance therewith, but the compound Will always have thesame proportions. It is also evident that the direction of movement ofthe endless belt is independent of the direction of rotation of theeccentric. When the transmitting devices discharge the material onto atraveling conveyer, the speed of the conveyer or the positions of theeccentrics may be so adjusted that the materials are not superposed. Inthis Way the volume of material per unit length of conveyer is constant,if the gate openings are equal, since the speed of all the is the same.Furthermore, by properly adjusting the .gate openings, the weight ofmaterial per unit length of coiiveyer may be made constant. If I desireto use my device for feeding at a constant rate, I adjust theturnbuckle, and the gate opening if desired, so as to secure the properamount of discharge during each cycle. Then, I may adjust the speed ofroshaft to provide the proper. frequency of such cycles. If the feed isto consist of one kind of material, I may utilize but one of thereceptacles, or I may utilize more of the receptacles in order toincrease tlie rate of feed. However, if the feed is to consist ofdifferent materials, I utilize a ni mber of receptacles, corresj'iondingto the number of constituents, and

adjust each transmitting device in accordance with the requiredproportions.

From the foregoing description of a typical embodiment of my invention,it Will be seen that I provide mechanism motion into an oscillation ofthe driving 4friction member, and the driven friction to move with theVmember being arranged drivingl friction member in one direction and notin the other. Many different forms of 'a common source, Whereb paratus,a receptacle,

for coiivert ing the continuous rotary or reciprocating i carrying beltfriction members may be substituted for the str-ap and pulley shown andthe brake strap and pulley may be replaced by any suitable means forpreventing the reverse movement of the pulley 22. Furthermore, and forthe purpose of supplying an accurate mixture of several differentmaterials, I have arranged the several bins With their independentlyfinely adjustable feeding devices driven from the different mechanismsbeing set to fee in proper proportions, the feed will continue at anydesired rate, but always in the same proportions until a differentadjustment is made. By means of this exact and Widely variableadjustment of the extent of movement of the belts, there may be providedsuiiicient latitude of alteration of feed, and sufficiently Aexactcontrol, for all ordinary purposes,

adjustable gate-openings for the bins, and indeed for such ordinarypurposes I prefer to fix once for all big free openings at the mouths ofthe bins, thereby avoiding the faults which are inherent in any attemptto control the feed by adjusting a gate-opening. Nevertheless, inspecial cases the well known adjustable gate-openings may be employed,as described above.

What I claim is: 1. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, areceptacle, a feed belt upon Which the receptacle discharges, andmechanism for intermittently moving said belt including co-aetingdriving and driven friction members, mechanism for oscillating thedriving friction member, means independent of the primary drivingmechanism for impartingr to the driving friction member a limitedpressure of engagement during the Without providing advance movement andmechanism for pre venting the reverse movement of the driven frictionmember by the driving friction member.

2. In an automatic measured-delivery apa feed belt upon which thereceptacle discharges, and mechanism for intermittently moving said beltincluding co-acting driving and driven friction members, adjustablemechanism'for oscillating the driving friction member through an anglevariable at Will, means independent of the primary driving mechanism forimparting to the driving friction member a limited pressure ofengagementduring the advance movement and mechanism for reventing thereverse movement of the driven friction member member.

3. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of-bins, anindividuall for each bin and upon which it discharges, and mechanismcomprising a friction drive for intermittently advancing said belts andincluding means for independently adjusting the extent and timing by thedriving friction of the advance movement of each belt, and means forcollectively adjusting the frequency of the advance movements.

4. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of bins, anindividual feed belt for each bin and upon which it discharges, each binhaving an adjustable feed orifice, and mechanism for intermittentlyadvancing said belts including means for independently adjusting theextent and timing of the advance movement ofv each belt and means forcollectively adjusting the frequency of the advance movements. v 5. Inan automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of bins, anindividual feed belt for each bin and upon which it discharges,mechanism for inlern'iittently ad-v vancing said belts including meansfor independently adjusting the extentof the ad.

vance movement of each belt, and an indicator associated with each 'beltfor showing the extent of the advance movement thereof.

6. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of binsarranged side by side, a rotatable driving shaft extending along saidbins, an individual feed belt for each bin and upon which it discharges,and

lmechanism for converting the continuous rotary motion of the drivingshaft into intermittent advance movements of the individual belts, saidmechanism comprising for each belt, a pivot-ed lever, an adjustableconnection between the pivoted lever and the driving shaft, a pulleyarranged to drive the feed belt, a tensioned friction strap inengagement with the pulley and connected to the free end of said.pivoted lever, and mechanism for preventing the backward movement ofthe feed belt.

7. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of binsarranged side by side, a rotatable driving shaft extending along saidbins, an individual feed belt for each bin and upon which it discharges,and mechanism for converting the continuous rotary motion of the drivingshaft into intermittent advance movements of the individual belts, saidmechanism con'iprising for each belt, a pivoted lever, an adjustableconnection between the pivoted lever and the driving shaft, a pulleyarranged to drive the feed belt, a tensioned friction strap inengagement with the pulley and connected to the free end of said pivotedlever, and mechanism for preventing the backward movement of the feedbelt, said mechanism comprising a brake pulley, movablev by the feedbelt and a tensioned friction brake strap in engagement with the pulleyrand fastened to a fixed support by that end to Which pull would beapplied by backward movement of the feed belt.

8. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of binsarranged side by side, a rotatable driving' shaft' extending along saidbins, 'an individual feed belt for each bin and upon which itdischarges, and mechanism for convertingthe continuous rotary motion ofthe driving shaft into intermittent advance movements of the indi vidualbelts, said mechanism comprising for each belt, co-acting driving anddriven friction members, mechanism for oscillating the driving frictionmember, means independent of the'primary driving mechanism for impartingto the driving friction member a limited pressure of engagement duringthe advance movement, and mechanism for preventing the reverse movementof the driven friction member by the i driving friction member.

9. In an automatic measured-delivery apparatus, a plurality of binsarranged side by side, a rotatable driving shaft extending along saidbins, an individual feed belt for each bin and upon which mechanism ,forconvertin the continuous rotary motion of the driving shaft intointermittent advance movements of the individual belts, said mechanismcomprising for each belt, co-acting driving and driven friction`members, adjustable mechanism for oscillating the driving frictionmember, means independent of the primary driving meeha nism forimparting to the driving friction member a limited pressure ofengagement during the advance movement of the driven friction member bythe driving friction member.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS D. WEEKS.

Vxitnesses WiLLrAM I-I. Davis, LEON W. RosmvTHAL.

it discharges, and

